


kaleidoscopes

by nudity



Category: Monsta X (Band), No.MERCY (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, more tags added when relevant, shout out to jooheon for letting baby changkyun open up, this is probably gonna suck but., you da tru mvp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-07 00:26:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5436590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nudity/pseuds/nudity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Changkyun has royally fucked things over but - to be fair to himself - it's not the first time that’s happened, and he knows it won’t be the last.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> n.m based. yeah.

It goes a bit like this: a few company officials sit him down after his January evaluation and, after a lengthy discussion of how idol-material he is, offer him a chance to debut. Changkyun isn’t stupid, he says _yes_ like any trainee would, without asking important questions like _when_ he’s going to debut and _how_ it’s going to happen and _with whom_ he’s going to share the stage. After all, he’s worked himself to death trying to make it through monthly evaluations for nearly two years - he’s gonna grab this opportunity by the balls and he’s gonna fucking run, no question about it.

It goes a bit like this, too: _NO.MERCY_ needs more rappers. This is the answer to his _when_ and _how_ and _with whom_.

 

.

 

Changkyun has royally fucked things over but - to be fair to himself - it’s not the first time that’s happened, and he knows it won’t be the last.

Changkyun knows a lot of things, actually; like how much of a dick move it is to join a televised competition mere weeks before it’s scheduled to conclude. He knows he’s an idiot for _honestly_ believing he’d be welcomed upon his arrival. (He’s walking into a room full of bitter young men alone, even a savant can figure out that it’s not going to end well.) Changkyun knows they'll hate him the moment he shows his face. It’s to be expected, it’s _inevitable_.

But knowing what's to come still doesn’t make the sting of rejection hurt any less.

 

.

 

“Will he be better than Jooheon?"

The man in question calmly slides his gaze to an inquisitive Hoseok. No one replies, but everyone’s thinking it - _he better be._

"Looks like Gunhee and Jooheon have to work much harder,” Hoseok looks cheeky when he grins. “You guys must've sucked.”

Jooheon inhales sharply at that word. He wants to ask if it's some sort of challenge from Hoseok because, if it _is_ , he would be _ecstatic_ to give every single trainee at that table a wake up call - a _reminder_ of who was number one here and who’d been so since the first episode.

He wants to do it, he really does. But then Gunhee fidgets next to him, chuckling, and he calms down. It's just Hoseok. Harmless, heart-on-his-sleeve Hoseok, who's trying to play the role Hyunwoo's _supposed_ to be taking advantage of. Hoseok, who's trying to relieve some of the tension blanketing them.

It obviously doesn’t work because Jooheon, unable to formulate a sentence that comes off any other way than hostile, reduces himself to staring at whatever catches his eye. He has every word, every obscenity, every verbal _hint_ of malice weighing down on his tongue, but he doesn't want to drop it on someone as undeserving as a hyung, especially one like Hoseok. At least the older boy is trying.

Jooheon, on the other hand, just wants to remain civilized. The cameras are rolling. It doesn’t matter how far up his ass the producers are. Anything he says or does will definitely be used against him.

So he covers his mouth.

Jooheon sits back in his chair, pulls the fabric of his shirt over his lips, and says nothing. He has officially resigned from the conversation and quite possibly from the trust he had in the company.

The new guy enters the scene, bowing as soon as he catches sight of them. Everyone else is silent, even the leaders who, out of human decency, stand and bow. No one wants to follow suit, but with one pointed glare from Hyunwoo the entire group is at their feet in seconds. They bow only a few degrees, eyes trained on the dining table. No one wants to even look at him.

His introduction is slow, minute, and completely fueled by anxiety, and Jooheon wants to laugh. The rapper casts his eyes over and - Gunhee’s got this shit-eating grin on his face, like he would join in on the laughter in a heartbeat.

 _This_ is who they chose over Kwangji? Jooheon thinks he _will_ laugh, right there in his face. The kid’s stumbling over his words, they can barely hear him, and he looks like somebody just beat him within an inch of his life - yet he was supposed to be a rapper? He won’t last a week on this show, much less as an _idol_.

It takes every sane fiber of Jooheon's being not to rise from his seat and flip the table. They eliminated three people, three _good_ people - for _this_ freeloader? What does that make them then, worthless trash?

  


	2. Chapter 2

Changkyun tries to swallow but there’s a drought in his mouth. He parts his lips for the shortest second, only to seal them once more. He’s surprised he even has a voice left; just sitting amongst all these angry survivors has his vocal cords shriveling up and withering away like dead leaves in the winter.

Needless to say, Changkyun is nothing short of a blinking, stuttering, hideous ball of nerves as he sits rigid in between Wonho and Minhyuk.

He's aware that no one will save him. Not his mother, not his brother, not even the damn company that sat him at the forefront of this inevitable train wreck. No matter how hard he tries to calm himself, his body trembles underneath his clothes. His heart pulses wildly underneath skin and bones. Millions of neurons fire in his brain, flitting down axons and jumping the synapses as his mind races to find any solutions to salvation.

Unfortunately there are none, thanks to Starship, who decided the only way he was going to take to a stage was to crash a party.

The cameras are focused on him, literally  _all_  of them. Changkyun tries to let his eyes wonder, but everywhere he looks someone else staring back at him. In the end his eyes are forced down at the table; only occasionally do they rise to meet someone else’s harsh gaze. Each trainee’s glare burns worse than the heat of a thousand suns, but he’s helpless to shield himself.

_Fifty points_ , he thinks, sinking chattery teeth into his lower lip.  _You fucked up big time, buddy._

Changkyun clears his throat, eyes trained hard on the plate of uneaten meat before him. It dawns on him then that he hasn't touched a sliver of food all day. Matter of fact, his appetite has been screwed up all week.

The jacket he has on feels like it’s got chains strapped onto it, thick and bulky and burdensome. Changkyun can't tell if it's merely a jacket he's toting or the whole fucking universe because right now he feels they are one in the same as they weigh down on his back. It's beyond uncomfortable. His chest is merely paper trying to contain the bowling ball of a heart pounding behind his ribcage.

Though, if he does say so himself, Changkyun understands what they must be going through. The show isn’t called  _NO.MERCY_  for nothing. Nobody's feelings are spared here. Everyone on the show is under intense scrutiny - Changkyun can attest to that - and it’s not just from the judges present for each performance, but from the company itself.

Still, he knows he isn’t wanted here. He’s at the very bottom of the food chain right now, and, for the foreseeable future, he can expect to remain in this position. Climbing up this particular pecking order isn’t going to happen quickly, if at all. So he sits, waiting for something bad to happen, prepared for the worst. After all, they can’t hide their feelings. (Part of Changkyun believes they really don’t  _want_  to.)

Shownu is the first to speak - with his mouth and not his mind, of course - and he only does it to ask if he's a trainee at the company.

Changkyun and probably everyone else at the table thinks the answer should be obvious -  _yes_. They don't just pluck barely legal kids off the streets and throw them on national television.

But, because he doesn't want to continue digging his own grave, Changkyun simply nods, trying not to look at Wonho. "I-I've been...at the company for about...two or three months," he adds reluctantly, surprised at his own voice. Wonho props his head on his palms, and any other words lingering on Changkyun's tongue die immediately. Relaying too much information would only fuel the colossal mess of a fire they have before them. He looks around for a split second, taking in the expressions of each contestant trying to keep himself in check.

Wonho wastes no time voicing his opinion. He murders the silence in one go, slicing right through it with that lively voice. "You came at the worst timing.” His voice is orotund and blunt. The frustration rings loud and clear.

Changkyun is not shocked to hear such harshness, but he did not expect to hear it coming from someone as inviting and leader-material as Wonho. Nevertheless, he remains silent as ever. Opening his mouth to say anything, no matter how harmless or respectful, will certainly only bring him a few words closer to getting his ass handed to him. He avoids looking directly into the older’s eyes. Something tells him if he does, it might be the end. "Absolutely terrible timing. What the  _hell_  were you thinking, joining like this - all of a sudden - popping up outta nowhere? You've got some nerve, kid - showing your face in national television after what we just - " Wonho stops himself with a hum, dissipating the rest of his thought before it got too heated. He probably would have continued had Kihyun not intervened.

"We can't really welcome you right now," the older says, not bothering to look at him through his flusteredness, "because we just lost Minkyun, and to think you replaced him...," Changkyun swallows when Kihyun finally meets his gaze. He looks calm from the outside but Changkyun can tell he's probably raging within. "We can't quite be all that nice to you."

Changkyun understands this. He's certain he'd feel the same way, were he to be placed in a similar situation. (What he isn't sure about is if that's an advanced apology for the behaviors he's about to witness, but he nods regardless of the truth. He can't go back and change his mind now, anyway.)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "expect irregular updates," i say as i update literally one day after i post the first chapter
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> lol the truth is: im just trying to get in the habit of being active despite being loaded with schoolwork. i only have a few chapters' worth of content so don't expect daily updates. you might see another update next week, you might see one in two months, or maybe 1-2 times a month. it depends on if can get myself to work quickly


	3. Chapter 3

Changkyun’s first night is... _interesting_ (read: fucking _miserable_ ).

The horror starts with the ride back to his new lodgings. (He doesn’t want to call it _home_ because it is nothing of the sort and every person living there has made sure of that.) Changkyun is forced to get in the van last, forced to take a spot in the very back of the vehicle; though, for once, he’s actually thankful no one is sitting next to him.

Two minutes into the ride back he finds himself trembling. It's not being alone in the back that has him this way. No, what rattles him is the lack of conversation, the lack of life and animation he’s so used to seeing on screen. A thick cloud of silence hangs over them, so palpable, so tangible - so _deafening_ \- that he's afraid to breathe in fear of breaking it.

 _Scared_ doesn’t quite sum up what he feels. Sure, he’s experienced the horrors of being the "new kid" twice before, but this is different. This time his future is at stake, and this time anything he says or does can determine whether or not he makes the final cut.

Things heat up some more at the dorm. Stepping out of the vehicle is like stepping off the plane in Massachusetts as a child. The only difference, albeit a _significant_ one, between then and now is that the excitement Changkyun felt as a hyper four-year-old is _quite_ the opposite of what he feels as an clearly overwhelmed young adult.

He follows behind his peers wordlessly, swallowing back any sign of distress as they crowd two elevators and ride up to the tenth floor. He’s really thankful none of the cameras are around to film this, he probably would’ve broken down just from the force of their stares.

A few guys are ahead of him when they get off, thankfully, but by the time he reaches the foyer there’s commotion coming from those already deeper inside the apartment.

Minkyun is gone. (Apparently he shouldn't be.)

Jooheon shoves past Changkyun, ignoring his presence completely. Not wanting to be a burden to anyone else - though, let's face it, he's already a burden as is - the new addition glues himself to the nearest wall and observes the clamor from his little three by three square of isolation. Jooheon is obviously looking for Minkyun if his haste to get to the room is anything to go by. But Gunhee rushes out as he attempts to get in, only to press his hands on Jooheon's shoulders to hold him back. "Don't be too shocked," is all his best friend says before Minhyuk takes and leads Jooheon into the room.

All Jooheon can do is scan the ex-contestant's empty bed, which can be seen from Changkyun's corner of loneliness. The mattress is pristine white, all Minkyun's stuff has disappeared; every trace of him is gone. "But his stuff was all over the place!" Jooheon groans, because it's true. Minkyun left the bed a mess with the idea that he was going to come home and not have to pack it all up. Jooheon sighs loud, letting his head fall to the side. Minhyuk squeezes his shoulder. Minkyun even cleaned the living room while they were out having a ball, apparently.

The noise Jooheon makes is a mixture between a sigh and a whine.

Minkyun really _is_ gone, and he can't really come back.

The wall is not a suitable place for an adult to cling in any social situation, but, even after moving back into the hallway, Changkyun realizes he's stuck no matter where he tries to go. Even if he attempts to move again, his options are few - and joining the rest of the guys in the living room is _not_ apart of that small number. He can see right into the bedroom where the camera crew films closeups on Jooheon leaning against a bunk, looking at the adjacent wall with a difficult expression.

Anxiety begins to fill him. It's only his first night amongst twelve other trainees, and he already feels like he's the only source of their grief. The terrible sensation only sprouts to the rest of his body when they begin to talk. He swallows, standing at the end of the corridor with one ear tuned to the bedroom and the other on the voices in the living room.

Jooheon has fallen quiet, but this time the silence is indicative of something far more complicated than just grief. He's angry, Changkyun is sure of this. Angry at him, angry at the company, at _himself_ , maybe. But what he's sure of and what he sees differ tremendously. Jooheon looks like he could cry but the way he holds himself and simply his appearance says he's ready to punch someone's lights out, and Changkyun finds himself confused once again because he can't decide whether he should feel sorry or scared.

Something rises from the depths of his subconscious and answers: _both_.

"We're a bunch of idiots," Hyungwon chuckles, derailing Changkyun's train of thought. Jooheon's presence in his mind temporarily fades and he peeks around the corner to view the mass of men curled comfortably against one another. "We were so happy eating all that barbecue," the dancer continues, grinning scornfully, "We should've known something was up."

Gunhee - Changkyun noticed his name on a locker in one of the earlier episodes - groans next to him, smiling tightly, "Why else would K.Will hyung buy us dinner?"

"I dunno - maybe because he's secretly Satan?" Kihyun sneers, deadpan amongst all the laughter. "I was so disappointed to hear they were adding someone," he admits moments later, and Changkyun swears he can _feel_ his confidence being peeled away.

"He better have a lotta skill," Gunhee hums. "Hoseok hyung was right when he said the kid's got some nerve showing up here all of a sudden."

"What's Kwangji gonna think when he finds out the company basically just replaced him?" No one knows how to answer that question, but Changkyun begins to wonder if it's true - if he's just a replacement for someone apparently less talented than himself. He doesn't want it to be (because that would just make things ten times harder for him). But, even if it _is_ the truth and Changkyun is a replacement, there's nothing they can do to change the past.

They can't go back and tweak history so that Kwangji and Yoosu and Minkyun stay, just like Changkyun can't go and decline the offer to debut _like this_. If he’d been given another chance, another route to take - he would’ve chosen that over this.

Guilt just keeps kneeing him in the balls, over and over - stripping him of his dignity and ripping his pride to shreds.

"This is all so fucked up." ( _It is_.) Even with such harsh words coming from his lips, Hyungwon manages to make them sounds pleasant with his silvery voice, and, quite frankly, it leaves Changkyun feeling empty. Maybe because it reminds him of his mother's voice. His mother was always soft spoken and rarely produced anything other than honey-coated words, no matter what came out of her mouth. She could make a curse word sound appealing, like Hyungwon just did. But she isn't with him to talk him out of the feelings of loneliness and isolation, so Changkyun has to be strong on his own. (It doesn't dismiss the fact that he misses her more than anything right now.)

"Guys," Yoonho tries, "We haven't even heard him rap yet, let's not be so judgmental," but the attempt to calm them flies right out of the window.

Changkyun feels a bit of hope blossom deep down at Yoonho's words, but it's not enough to get rid of the overpowering loneliness.

Shownu speaks up after a pregnant silence, "Seokwon, go talk to the new guy." And Seokwon gives him the dirtiest of looks, one comprised of annoyance, disbelief, and confusion. It screams nothing but _what the fuck, hyung?_

Shownu doesn't seem to care, only continues to urge him to get up. "He's your age, just show him where his bed is and stuff." The cameraman secretly shifts his attention to Changkyun, and the rapper feels himself tense. The more they record the group, the more opportunities the editors get to be evil.

"Hyung, don't force him," Minhyuk interrupts. “It’ll only make things harder.” Changkyun sees the singer's hand land on Seokwon's shoulder.

"Look," Shownu sighs, and Changkyun bounces awkwardly on the balls of his feet, "I get that you’re all wishing this to be different. And I'm sure the new guy didn't want this to happen, either. I'm sorry we lost Minkyun, too, but. It is what it is, and right now it's hard to accept…." Something causes his words to taper into nothingness. (Changkyun wonders what he would have said had he not trailed off.)

"Well, I'm not mad at him or anything," Seokwon mumbles. Changkyun leans around the corner shyly, sees Seokwon adjust his hat, before he returns to his little block of loneliness. With every passing second, he grows more and more exasperated by the idea of being stuck to the wall.

"No one is mad at him," Minhyuk reiterates, "He didn't do anything wrong."

Changkyun swallows, blinking his way through forming tears. He clears his throat, makes sure to alert them of his existence. And it works, because Minhyuk stops in the middle of his sentence and a tense silence follows. He can see Hyungwon from his spot, wide-eyed like he's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

But really, it's Changkyun who feels like he's the cookie bandit. He blatantly made his presence known because he was tired of standing there alone, but now that he's done it and they realize he's been standing there since they got back - he feels more exposed than ever.

There seems to be a silent debate between Seokwon and Shownu, because Seokwon still hasn't acquiesced and gotten up but Shownu hasn't said anything - so Kihyun slaps his knees and does them all favor.

The singer sighs as he rises from the mattress. Changkyun swallows, straightens as he see Kihyun round the corner. He expects the singer to stop and invite him into the group with at least a smile, but Changkyun has learned that he often expects too much of people.

"Come sit in the living room with us." It isn't a question. It isn't an invitation. It's a cold command. Kihyun doesn't even spare Changkyun a glance as he floats right past, headed for whatever's of importance behind him. It hurts a little bit to know Kihyun probably doesn't care, but Changkyun is grateful that they’re interacting and would much rather exist in the presence of the others than pace back and forth alone.

On instinct he digs blunt nails into his sweaty palms and carefully shuffles into the living room for the first time that evening. Everyone's eyes fall on him as he takes Kihyun's place next to Shownu.

Seokwon continues, “Regardless to the show, this means we have _thirteen_ trainees instead of the original twelve…,”

"Um, what do you mean ' _we have thirteen trainees_ ,' Seokwon," Wonho enters the scene only to sit by Hyungwon. "They just eliminated _three_ good people."  _Good_ people - those words are meant just for him, Changkyun knows it.

"I meant - not considering eliminations," Seokwon corrects. "We started with twelve, and K.Will hyung adding _him_ \- " Changkyun winces at the title (" _him_ ") " - makes it thirteen. What does that say about the number of spots open for the finale?"

Seokwon does make a good point, but no one in the group knows how to answer.

Instead they all sit silently, staring into space, staring at each other.

Kihyun comes back moments later and scrunches his nose upon learning that his spot has been taken. Changkyun swallows and blinks as the singer takes a spot next to Hyungwon and Gunhee.

If it isn't already obvious, Changkyun feels small in the presence of the others. Being around them is actually much worse than being in his little box haven because they don't say anything to him, much less each other. Every man is left to his own thoughts.

The feeling only worsens when Shownu suddenly rises, coat in hand, and walks down the hall in silence. It dawns on Changkyun after the leader turns into one of the bedrooms that he's going to bed.

Just as Changkyun thinks the state of the situation will plateau, and the world will miraculously start to brighten - the hyungs trickle out of the living room, one by one, silently.

Eventually the only people left are him, Yoonho, and the cameramen. But, like before, Yoonho keeps his mouth shut.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next update is scheduled for christmas and will be the last update for this fic this year. i have other stuff to finish, stuff on aff, so you may not see anything from this one for a hot minute...
> 
> tell me what you guys think?? sorry for any mistakes, this hasn't been properly beta'd


	4. Chapter 4

 

This is not their first meeting.

Jooheon's seen I.M around the building, usually after those gruesome nights in the studio, when he's stuck in his element, trapped by the need to put an end to an otherwise endless cycle. Think, compose, scrap, think, mull over the show, eat a few chips - scrap again.

I.M’s walked out of practice rooms just as he’s strolled in, or they’ve bumped into each other, usually at night - when Jooheon’s urge to repeat the cycle overcomes him and I.M’s finally finished with his schedule. They’ve never exchanged conversation, just small, apologetic bows if time allowed.

I.M’s just a trainee, young and eager to debut. But Jooheon’s gone through seven years of hell for this chance; he figured the poor kid wouldn’t be on a stage for a long time as well. He also never expected him to come here.

So, needless to say, they’re already acquainted.

The filming crew stays put, waiting for him to do something, but he won't give in. Jooheon's gonna have to get used to it anyway. Once he's an idol, the camera never leaves apparently.

But that's beside the point.

The point is: they have a new trainee. While it's a great thing he's a rapper, his arrival almost puts a seal on this whole damn thing. His arrival has Jooheon thinking _this is it_ \- this is how it ends, with I.M a permanent part of the team. (Jooheon's not exactly sure how that's gonna work but that's a problem he’s willing to face later.)

All of this is fake. This whole show's a scam, a rehash of what's been done by other companies, so they can garner some attention for a new group. Everybody and their mother has seen or talked about watching a survival show - hell, Gunhee’s _cousin_ ’s been on one. Regardless, the ratings for shows have skyrocketed in the past, so now everyone's trying to get away with it.

It's a new age. Music and talent are being abandoned for money. Deceit and greed surround entertainment companies like flies buzzing around trash cans. Betrayal is imminent - just look at what's happened to them.

It's sick in every negative form of the word. What the fuck happened to music? Why is the ultimate goal always money? Jooheon wants to know the truth, but it’s being covered in lies, skewed by the corrupt.

Filmers film and editors edit because it's their job, but what does and _doesn't_ make it to the final cut is decided by PDs, by the people who run this operation. In a sense, the contestants have put their fates in the hands of those people. In a sense, those people can fuck with someone's image but they haven't fooled everyone. They haven't fooled Jooheon.

This shitstorm they're going through now, all the blood and the sweat and the tears they've shed to advance to the next stage? It’s just a pliability test. To see how far they can bend and stretch and " _reach for the stars!_ " before they break, before their hands are forced and they have no choice but give in. This is just a social experiment, and they’re all lab rats.

It’s blood on a white wall. Jooheon knows there are lies just like he knows there are truths, but for the fate of his friends and of _himself_ , he’s unsure of which he should trust. The water's too muddy, everything's too fucked up, _something_.

Jooheon’s only constant in this entire game show is -

“Hey.” Gunhee pops into the room, first exchanging a glance with the cameraman. Any thoughts flowing through his head are dispersed. Jooheon lifts up slightly, just enough to see his best friend enter the room.

"Hey," he replies much softer. "What took you so long?" Gunhee takes his time crawling into the bunk across from his. Jooheon watches him as he shifts around on the tiny little mattress, finally settling on his side.

He shrugs, "I wanted to see if the new guy would get roasted again but he didn't and it got boring so I just left."

"Why didn't you do it?" Jooheon grins. "You too chicken?"

Gunhee's eyes practically disappear when he smiles. "Are you _trying_ to get my ass eliminated?"

"Yeah, that's definitely it, man," Jooheon deadpans. "We don't need you anymore. It'll definitely just be me and the new kid, holding up the team."

"Whoa," he chuckles incredulously. "You're not seriously thinking he's gonna debut, are you?"

But Jooheon _is_ . He _is_ thinking about it because it’s happening right here and right now and he has no other choice but to consider all the possibilities. "Why else would he show up now? Of all times?” He replies like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, it _should_ be. “K.Will hyung said it himself that we need more rappers for the team _after_ doing away with Kwangji. The company said they wanted a rap-oriented team, but we started out with four rappers originally. Four doesn't sound like a big number when you put it against eight, right?” By now the smile on Gunhee's face is gone, replaced by a more thoughtful pout. He nods. He understands.

"I don't get it," comes another voice. Jooheon and Gunhee whip their heads in the direction of the sound. Minhyuk is positioned against the door frame so that he can peek out into the living room but also keep his newfound place in the conversation.

Jooheon opens his mouth to explain more, but Gunhee does it for him instead. He shifts around on the flat mattress, crawling out of the bunk to get a good look at the boy in the doorway. "Okay," he grunts, placing two feet on the floor. "So let's say that, before the show, the CEO sat down with his guys and said, 'alright, we've been looking at a lot of the successful boy groups from the past - y'know, Big Bang, Block B, B.A.P, BTS, and they all have one thing in common - Hip-Hop. So, our goal is to debut a hip-hop team as well.' You gettin' this so far?" Minhyuk nods. "Great, so the company wants to debut hip-hop boy group, right? Well, what's a major component of hip-hop?"

"Rap?"

"Right, so the company's gonna need enough rappers to combat the amount of singers. Makes sense?" Minhyuk nods again. Gunhee holds up his fingers. "Let's say they want to debut six or seven guys." He puts three fingers down. "If the company wants to debut a 'rap-oriented slash hip-hop' team, and they have twice as many singers as they do rappers - then they _cannot_ under any circumstances eliminate rappers."

"Why?"

Jooheon sits forward. "Because if they do, that's one less rapper the team has, thus taking away the hip-hop slash rap thing the company wants."

"Then it just turns into a visual-vocal fiesta," Minhyuk mumbles, finally seeming to understand. He steps forward to climb into Minkyun's old bed. Nothing's happening in the living room anyway.

Moments later Seokwon enters, followed suit by another camera crew. It forces them to cut the conversation short as they move to accommodate the others. Jooheon wants to shout and tell them to leave, but he knows it'll only worsen things and decides once more to keep his mouth closed.

Gunhee remains silent as he sits across from Jooheon, face turned to the floor and hands clasped together. He thumbs one of the rings on his finger, and Jooheon can tell by the way his sucks his bottom lip in that he's thinking hard.

Now that he thinks about it, Gunhee has been quiet most of the evening, save for just now. Everyone knows him as the moodmaker and spirit of the show, so this concentrated attitude is a stark contrast of his usually chipper behavior. Jooheon wants to ask what's wrong because he knows something's going on behind that thick skull of his, but he can't. The cameras are set up and already rolling.

For only a moment they sit and rest and reflect on the evening's happenings. Jooheon wants to ignore the new guy's addition, but it's hard when his spot in the final lineup is almost guaranteed.

"I guess we should rap with no mercy now."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had to get this one out before i forgot. see you next year~

**Author's Note:**

> the entirety of the plot has been determined (i think)  
> expect irregular updates bc, yknow, life.  
> kudos/comments def. appreciated!


End file.
